Educator Of The Month: Dionne Harris

In her 31 years in Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), all of them at Broadneck High School, Dionne Harris has held numerous roles, with this school year marking her 21st as the English department chairperson. She has taught all high school grades and served as adviser for classes and clubs. In 2013, she was Broadneck’s nominee for the AACPS Teacher of the Year.

“For 31 years, Dionne Harris has been a cornerstone of Broadneck High School,” Principal Katie Smith said. “Her dedication to students, ability to build meaningful relationships, and leadership within the English department have helped shape the culture of our school and positively impact generations of Bruins.”

Harris’ commitment to education comes from her mother, also an AACPS teacher for 31 years. She said her mother’s passion for teaching and the joy she experienced were the inspiration behind her own career choice, and it is a choice she’s never regretted.

“My educational philosophy has always been to challenge, encourage, lead, inspire and teach, which is applicable to both my teaching and leadership style,” Harris said. “My love for English developed from my early passion for reading and watching stories come alive on the page. The creativity of the plot and characters, as well as diving into the analysis of a text, was and still is exciting to me. Everyone enjoys a great story.”

The technology explosion of the last three decades has shaped the way her students communicate. Text messages, emojis and tweets are how teens have grown up engaging with others.

“We do a lot of writing, which unfortunately has been derailed a bit due to texting,” Harris said. “Getting the students to expand their thoughts and edit their responses is often a challenge, but as we prepare them for the ‘real world,’ we have to constantly push these skills.”

She said her students can’t escape interacting with one another every class period. She uses “turn and talk with your neighbor” practices, which include table sharing, group collaboration and class discussions to make sure all voices are heard and that students stay connected to one another.

“Sometimes they like it and sometimes they hate it, but I continually stress the importance of being able to communicate with one another in person,” Harris explained.

Harris originally considered pursuing law school to become an advocate for social change. While that career didn’t pan out, she feels she’s fulfilling that goal through her students.

“Working with young people means that I am learning something new every day. That’s the joy for educators and students — learning from one another. They keep me young,” Harris said. “Even after 31 years, I still love what I do and enjoy coming to work every day. Many people can’t say that!”